NASA wants to build a small outpost — likely with parts left over from the $100 billion International Space Station — at what’s known as the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2, a spot about 38,000 miles from the moon and 277,000 miles from Earth.

At that location, the combined gravities of the Earth and moon reach equilibrium, making it possible to “stick” an outpost there with minimal power required to keep it in place. …

The planning documents indicate the outpost is possible only with “modest increases” to the current budget — and that presumes none of the cost overruns that have characterized recent NASA projects. Indeed, the first construction flight in 2019 is labeled “unfunded” in briefing charts, as is a robotic “sample return” moon mission in 2022.

Below: color pictures from Mars, as taken by the Curiosity rover, and a peek at what US travelers someday may see: